Sash rack



Oct. 13, 1953 H, F, WEL-rz y 2,655,266

SASH RACK Filed .00L 19, 1951 BY l Hm/pm v ,4Q/mmm ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SASH RACK Henry F. Weitz, Shawano, Wis.

Application October 19, 1951, Serial No. 252,017

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-13) This invention relates to sash racks, and more particularly to sash rack devices adapted to be secured to ceiling joists or similar iixed supports for suspending storm windows and window screen sashes when the same are not in use.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved sash rack assembly which can be easily attached to a generally horizontal supporting structure, such as the iioor joists exposed in a basement or joists in the upper portion of a storage building lor garage, for suspending storm window or window screen sash in a convenient, out-of-the-way location; which extends only slightly below the supporting joists so that the rack itself does not take up any otherwise useful space; which suspends the sash in closely spaced, substantially vertical position so that dust does not collect on the storm windows or screens while they are in storage; which receives the sash from a substantially vertical position to facilitate hanging the sash on the rack and irmly supports the sash against accidental displacement; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy to install, and positive and effective in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. wherein: f

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a sash rack illustrative of the invention mounted in operative position to the lower edges of floor joist and supporting sash therefrom;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is fragmentary cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 3 3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a wire hook constituting an operative component of the device.

With continued reference to the drawing, the rack comprises a pair of identical structures, generally indicated at ID and II, mounted in generally horizontal position and in substantially parallel and coterminous relationship to each other.

In the arrangement illustrated the structures I!) and II are secured to the bottom edges of door joists I2 and I3 exposed in a basement,`but may be mounted with equal facility on ceiling joists or other framework in the upper portion of a storage building or garage. The structures .may be mounted to extend longitudinally of the collect on the storm windows. The rack may be used to suspend screen sash with equal facility, and, if desired, could be used in a warehouse to suspend any kind of window sash, screen doors or similar devices.

Each of the two identical structures iii and II comprises an elongated bar I5 of rectangular cross-sectional shape and preferably formed of a relatively inexpensive material, such as hard Wood, a iiat plate I6, also preferably formed of a hard wood, overlying one side of the barili and secured thereto, and a plurality of hooks Il pivotally mounted on the bar I6 and depending therefrom. Y

The bar I 5 has grooves I8 extending transversely thereof in the side. adjacent the plate I6, these grooves being spaced apart longitudinally of the bar I5 a substantially uniform distance slightly greater than the thickness of the sash I4 which are to be suspended from the rack, and the hook-s Il are pivotally mounted one in each of the grooves I8.

The plate I6 projects outwardly along one side of the bar to provide a flange I9, the inner side of which overlies the corresponding ends oi the grooves I8.

Each of the hooks Il, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 4, has an elongatedshank portion 20 and an intermediate portion 2| extending perpendicularly from one end of the shank. The intermediate portion 2l has a length substantially equal to the width of the bar I5, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 2, and extends through the corresponding groove I8 in the bar. T'he grooves I8 are so shaped and dimensioned that the intermediate portions 2l of the hooks have a slight frictional binding in the grooves, so that the hooks will tend to remain in a position to which they are manually moved relative to the corresponding bars.

A sash-supporting end portion 22 extends from the end of the shank 26 remote from the intermediate portion 2I and has its longitudinal center line substantially perpendicular to a plane including the longitudinal center lines of the shank and the intermediate portion, and has a length substantially equal to the distance from one side of the pane 23 of a storm. window or the corresponding screen of a window screen to the adjacent side of the sash frame 24, as is particularly illustrated in Figure 3, A ange-engaging end portion 25 extends from the end of the intermediate portion 2l remote from the shank 20 and has its longitudinal center line.

3 one direction relative, to the bar l5, to, a position in which the shanks 20 of the hooks are sub-A stantially perpendicular to the bar, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

'I'he sash-engaging end portions 22 of the hooks of each rack structure are all directed4 in the same direction, and, when the rack structures are mounted in generally horizontal posi'- tions, as by being secured tothe bottom edges of oor joists, as illustrated in Figure l, the hooks of each rack structure may all be moved to a position in which the shank portions of the hooks are inclined relative to the corresponding bars, so that the shanks and sash-engaging end portions of the hooks lie substantially along the sides of the bars. The sash-engaging end portions of the hooks are directed away from one end of the. corresponding bar, and, with the hooks inclined relative to the bars, as explained above, the pair of hooks at the ends of the bars from which the sash-engaging portions are directed are rst brought to a position substantially perpendicular to the corresponding bars, the flangeengaging end portions of the hooks stopping the hooks at this position. The first sash I4 is then hung on the sash-engaging end portions of this first pair of hooks, being engaged with the hooks from a substantially vertical position below the rack structures. After the iirst Sash has been hung, the next pair of hooks are swung down to a position substantially perpendicular to the corresponding bars, and the next sash is hung on the second pair of hooks in a similar manner, this procedure being repeated until all of the sashes have been hung on corresponding pairs of hooks of the rack.

As the sashes are hung, they are held by gravity in a substantially vertical position, and,'as the hooks are formed of a heavy wire having a small diameter relative to the thickness of the sash frames, the sashes are hung close together so that no important amount of dust will circulate between the sashes and be deposited on the storm window panes or the screens, and the weight of the adjacent sashes serves to hold the sashes on the hooks against accidental displacement.

The rack structures I and II may be secured to the corresponding joists I2 and I3 in any desired manner, in the arrangement illustrated the bars I5 and plates I S being provided with transversely extending apertures spaced apart longitudinally of the bars and substantially perpendicular to the grooves I8 and wood screws, as indicated at 21, are passed through these apertures and threaded into the joists to secure the rack structures to the joists.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come Within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A sash rack assembly comprising a least two structures adapted to be horizontally mounted in substantially parallel and coterminous relationship to\each other and each oomprising an elongated bar of rectangular crosssectional shape having an outwardly extending flange alone one. edge thereof, and apertures extendingY transversely therethrough at spaced apart locations therealong at the inner side of said flange, and hooks extending one through each aperture, each of said hooks including an elongated shank, an intermediate portion having a length substantially equal to the Width of said bar and extending perpendicularly from one end of said shank and through the corresponding aperture in said bar, a sash-engaging end portion extending from the other end of said shank portion with its longitudinal center line substantially perpendicular to a plane including the center lines of said shank and said intel*-v mediate portion and having a length less than the thickness of a sash to be suspended from the i rack, and a flange-engaging end portion extending from the end of said intermediate portion remote from said shank With its longitudinal center line substantially perpendicular to said plane, said end portions extending in opposite direc. tions from said plane and said iiange-engagingend portion limiting swinging movement of the hook in one direction relative to said bar to a position in which said shank is disposed substantially perpendicular to the bar.

2. A sash rack comprising a pair of similar structures adapted to be horizontally supported in substantially parallel and coterminous relationship to each other and each including an elongated bar having an abutment formation extending longitudinally thereof, and hooks pivotally connected to said bar and depending therefrom at spaced apart locations therealong, each of said hooks having one end spaced from said bar and providing a sash-engaging portion and having an angularly disposed portion at its other end engageable with said bar carried abutment to hold the hook in substantially perpendicular position relative to the bar.

3. A sash Vrack comprising a pair of similar structures adapted to be horizontally supported in substantially parallel and coterminous rela. tionship to each other and each including an elongated bar of rectangular cross-sectional shape having apertures extending transversely therethrough at locations spaced apart longitudinally thereof and an overlying abutment extending longitudinally thereof, and hooks pivotally connected to said bar at uniformly spaced part locations therealong and depending therefrom, each of said hooks having an intermediate portion extending through the corresponding aperture in said bar, a shank joined at one end to and depending from said intermediate p0rtion, a sash-engaging portion at the end of said shank remote from said intermediate portion and an angularly disposed portion at the other end of said intermediate portion engageable with said bar-carried abutment to hold the hook in substantially perpendicular position relative to the bar.

HENRYv E. WELTZ.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 287,623 camp oet. 30, 1833 424,569 Morrison Apr. 1, 1890 643,818 Headland Feb. 20, 1900 1,039,359 Brown Sept. 24, 1912 2,207,731 Hagopian July 16, 1940 2,590,533 Hamer Mar. 25, 1952 

